Artificial intelligence is changing how many people work. In several Twin Cities area police departments, it’s taking on some of the paperwork that comes with law enforcement by helping write police reports. 

Axon, the company behind Taser, has an AI tool that helps officers write reports using body camera footage. The tool is called Draft One. As KSTP first reported, three departments in the metro are using it. But some prosecutors and civil rights advocates have raised concerns. 

Spokespeople for Bloomington and Brooklyn Park police said a group of officers within their departments are piloting the tool. MPR News host Nina Moini spoke with Lieutenant Nate Tennessen from the Eagan Police Department, which has been using Draft One since June.

A new startup in Minnesota’s medical technology hub recently won an annual statewide business competition. Twin Cities based AcQumen Medical walked away from this year’s MN Cup with $100,000 in prizes. Its winning idea is a device to measure blood flow in babies who are in neonatal intensive care.

Clinical trials for the device will begin later this week. AcQumen Medical co-founder and CEO Dori Jones joined MPR News host Nina Moini to talk about it.

The use of breathalyzer tests are being paused statewide after errors were found that produced unreliable results in more than 100 DWI cases. The defense attorney who first flagged this issue will join us with his reaction to the suspension.

Monday is Indigenous People's Day. We'll chat with author Janis Fairbanks about her new memoir that details her relationship with her Ojibwe grandmother. We'll also check in with Native News reporter Chandra Colvin, who has more on celebrations happening in the Twin Cities.

Plus, we'll hear how a local nonprofit is helping new Latino immigrants connect to and enjoy the Twin Cities' park systems.

And the Vikings had a break this week, but face a tough team ahead. That story from our sports contributors.

Our Minnesota Music Minute was “If I Do My Own” by Black Market Brass and Obi Original and our Song of the Day was “Mountain Laurels” by Rogue Valley.

It's Indigenous Peoples Day in Minnesota. From Moorhead to Mankato, Duluth to the Twin Cities, communities are celebrating the day.

Chandra Colvin was at a school American Indian Magnet School Saint Paul where people are spending the afternoon outside for cultural teachings and a feast.

Colvin joined Minnesota Now to talk about how the school is honoring Indigenous ancestors.

The Vikings had a bye this weekend. Next, they play the birds. The Philadelphia Eagles, defending Super Bowl champions, will be at U.S. Bank stadium in Minneapolis on Sunday.

But there is a big question mark around who will start as quarterback. Carson Wentz has been starting while J.J. McCarthy nurses an injury.

As the Vikings gear up for that game, sports contributors Wally Langfellow and Eric Nelson joined Minnesota Now with updates on football from around the Midwest – plus, other sports news.

Minnesota’s parks and trails are a big part of what makes living here so special. But not everyone has an easy path into those outdoor spaces. A local organization is aiming to change that.

Luisana Méndez has taken it upon herself to be a bridge between recent Latino immigrants like herself and the Twin Cities’ park systems. She’s the founder and executive director of Huellas Latinas, a nonprofit that helps Latino families connect with nature, with each other, and with their home here in Minnesota.

In a new memoir, Janis Fairbanks writes, “making the time to pass along a lesson is imperative to the survival of not only the humanity of Indigenous people but of all people.” And she credits the women in her family for sharing lessons with her.

Fairbanks is a member of the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and author of “Sugar Bush Babies: Stories of my Ojibwe Grandmother.” The stories are split, just like her childhood, between the city of Duluth and the lakes and woods of northern Minnesota.

Fairbanks joined Minnesota Now host Nina Moini to talk about the memoir.

The state's Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is reviewing potentially faulty breathalyzer tests after ordering a pause on use of breathalyzer testing equipment statewide on Friday. The agency discovered multiple errors in test results, which could affect hundreds of DWI cases.

Chuck Ramsay is a defense attorney who first flagged an issue with the tests. He joined Minnesota Now host Nina Moini to explain the issue.

Minneapolis singer, rapper and writer Dessa has risen to fame over the past two decades through her genre-defying solo performances and collaborations with groups like the Minnesota Orchestra and Doomtree.

Dessa is releasing a new single “Camelot” off her new EP on Friday. She joined MPR News host Nina Moini to share a sneak peek of her new project and reflect on her two decades in the Twin Cities music scene and beyond.

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency recently released an analysis of the water quality of rivers, lakes and streams across the state. While the Blue Earth River in southwestern Minnesota has improved, scientists are still seeing the effects of the June 2024 Rapidan Dam failure on the river’s water quality.

MPR News senior reporter Hannah Yang has been covering the impacts of the dam failure, which released more than a century’s worth of sediment buildup into the Blue Earth River. She joined Minnesota Now to share what she’s learned, as a part of a regular check-in with reporters in Greater Minnesota.